A Small Change
by quizasluna
Summary: Lauren doesn't like Merle Dixon and he never really paid her any mind when she wasn't serving him drinks at the bar. Her thoughts about them begin to change when he saves her from becoming walker bait. What happens when his surly younger brother is thrown into the mix? 1st fanfic so please R&R! AU, OFC
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing you recognize, just my OC and plot.

Chapter 1

Lauren Hill sighed as she looked down the bar from her position at the sink. She hated this place but she had bills to pay and jobs were scarce. She had been working at Sal's for three months and the excitement of being a new face had finally faded. Thankfully, most of the customers no longer went out of their way to harass her or offer their "help" adjusting to a new town. Of course, there were still an annoying few, and one of them was the reason for her sudden drop in mood.

"Oooo-whee! Tommy we got lucky tonight! Big Booty Judy is working! Come on over sugar and show Ol' Merle how much ya missed him!"

Lauren rolled her eyes at his entrance and the nickname (her butt was NOT that big) while Tommy flashed her a smile and a wink before settling down at the counter. She hadn't seen either man in awhile and thought she heard a rumor that they were locked up for indecent exposure or something.

"Words can't even express my feelings about seeing you again, Merle. You guys want your usual?" She couldn't help but be sarcastic with such a loud obnoxious man.

"Hell no darlin'! Me an' Tommy here just got ourselves out of the clink on good behavior! We're celebratin'! Bring us a bottle of the best whiskey ya got!"

"I don't think you're ever on good behavior and I know for a fact that you can't afford the nicest bottle of whiskey so here." Lauren set the bottle of Wild Turkey on the bar in front of the two men along with two glasses.

Merle barked out a laugh, opened the bottle and took a swig before saying, "Damn girl, you haven't gotten any less icy since I last seen ya. D'ya need Ol' Merle here to warm ya up? I hear it works best if you're nekkid."

"Don't be such an asshole, Merle." She rolled her eyes again and turned to walk away, but not before Merle told her he was "just trying to help and would be available at any time."

The rest of the night passed slower than Lauren felt possible, with her running all over the bar to refill drinks and deliver food, all while dodging the grabby hands of the bolder patrons. The perverted comments from Merle didn't stop and his friend Tommy joined in once he had a few drinks, encouraging others to proposition her as well. Lauren's head was pounding and she was never happier when it was time for last call.

By the time all of the customers got into cars or cabs, it was 3 am. Lauren was exhausted; she was never here this late on a Wednesday night. She looked around at all of the clean up that needed to be done and decided to just do it before the bar opened tomorrow. Her boss wouldn't notice, and if he did, he wouldn't fire her. She turned off the lights, locked the door and started walking home.

It was late and it was dark and Lauren lived about a mile from the bar, but she wasn't scared. All she wanted was to get home and fall face first into her bed. She had had a few problems with drunks on the street before, but it was never something she couldn't handle. If all else failed, she was armed with a small handgun, though she hoped she would never have to use it.

Finally, she was at the door to her small rented house. She let herself in and without turning on any lights, found her way to her bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

The next day, Lauren woke up with a start. It took her a few minutes to realize she was home in her own bed and to calm her blood pressure.

_Must've had a bad dream. Wonder what it was about._

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and stood to go shower. Once she was clean and no longer smelled like spilled alcohol, she got ready to go back to Sal's and clean up from the night before. It was warm out and the Georgia sun was already beating down, so she grabbed a water bottle out of her fridge and started walking.

The street was eerily quiet, but Lauren shrugged it off as being due to the heat. She made it to the bar and went in through the front door. Sal's never opened before 4 pm, so she didn't worry about customers trying to come in. She looked around and frowned at the amount of work she had left for herself to do, but she was glad she went home and got some sleep. She dug out her headphones, put on her favorite Pandora station and got to work.

Two hours later, Lauren was cleaning and putting away the last of the glassware when she heard a crash and a loud, familiar voice yelling, "DARYL! GET YOUR SKINNY ASS OUT HERE WE'VE GOTTA GO!"

"Merle?" She asked as she ripped her headphones out.

"Judy? What the hell are you doin' here girl?" he asked looking a little panicked.

"Um I work here. What are you doing here? Who's Daryl?"

"Daryl's my baby brother, I'm lookin' for him so we can get the hell outta Dodge. He said somethin' 'bout comin' down this way but I haven't seen 'im. You looked outside today?"

"I've been in here all afternoon. What's going on?" Lauren was starting to get concerned about Merle's demeanor. She had never seen him look anything but salacious or drunk and it was freaking her out.

"There's no time to explain. You alone?"

Lauren hesitated, not sure if she should let him know that there was no one else with her.

"Ya answered ma question. Let's go." He grabbed her arm and began to pull her towards the door.

"Merle wait! Stop! What's wrong with you? What the hell is going on?" She said as she struggled in his grip. He ignored her and kept moving. Now that they were out from the side room and she didn't have music playing in her ears, Lauren could hear screaming. She stopped short.

"What the fuck. What is going on out there?"

"C'mon Princess. We ain't got all day. I gotta find ma brother and then we gotta get out of here. Less ya want to be one a them." He pointed out the window at a woman trapped beneath a man who was chewing on her neck. There was blood everywhere, and it was clear that the woman had bled out. A look down the street showed similar scenes.

"What is this, some bath salt thing? I'm not going out there with people going crazy like that. I'm going to call the police and wait inside until it's safe." She reached for her cell phone and saw that she had no service. _What the fuck? I always have service here. Hell, I was just listening to Pandora a few minutes ago!_

"How's that plan working out for ya darlin'?"

She glared at him.

"I tol' ya we gotta get outta here. Ain't no pigs gonna come and save us."

Outside, the noise was quieting somewhat as those with cars packed up and sped toward the highway. Others were not so lucky and were serving as a buffet for those _things_ that looked human but couldn't be. Lauren hesitated, not wanting to leave the safety of the bar and catch the attention of the flesh-eating monsters outside. Merle's truck was sloppily parked on the sidewalk in front of the bar, but it still seemed too far.

Before she could gather her courage, her world flipped upside down. Merle had grabbed her around the waist and slung her over his shoulder.

"Put me down! Merle! I'm not kidding you filthy bastard! Put me the fuck down!" Lauren screamed and pounded on his back with her fists. Merle told her to hush and she snatched her purse off a front table before he carried her out the door to his truck. He opened the driver's side door and shoved her across the seat before getting in himself and shutting the door.

Lauren continued screaming and striking out at him; he had locked the door so she couldn't leave the cab. Finally he grabbed her wrists and held them in one hand. He looked at her and growled "Now listen here Missy, cause I'm only gonna say this once. Those things out there ain't human no more. They ain't. There ain't nothin' you or anyone can do ta help 'em neither. You gotta stay 'way from them cause one bite or scratch and ya turn into one. There ain't no time for pussying around right now. Got it? An' I just saved your ass so don'tcha dare think a hittin me 'gain. I ain't in the habit a hittin' womenfolk, but I've made exceptions 'fore an' I'll do it again. We understand each other?"

Lauren's eyes were wide with fear, but she nodded.

"Good. Now let's go see about my dumbass brother." With that, he released her wrists, started the truck and peeled out into the street, dodging the living and the non-living alike.

AN: Well this is the first chapter of my first ever fanfic! What do you think? Should I continue? Let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thank you to my first reviewer MaoIsSleepy, your words meant a lot to me! Here's Chapter 2, let me know what you think!

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><p>Lauren was speechless as she looked out the window. All around her, people with a glazed look in their eyes were gorging themselves on bodies. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she saw a mother trying to get her teenage daughter into a car only to have the girl lunge for her throat. She saw a man leave the chewed remains of someone on the ground and follow after an escaped housecat that was yowling uncontrollably. She turned her head, unable to watch any more.<p>

"Can't do nothin' for 'em sweetheart. Things is different now; can't worry 'bout nobody but yaself. Get yaself killed otherwise."

"You didn't do that though. You took me with you. I didn't ask you to, you could've just left me at Sal's."

"I coulda. But I'd hate to lose a nice piece of ass that can cook and clean and owes me for savin' 'er life."

Lauren's brow furrowed. She hadn't stopped to take in her situation. There was no police and she was alone with a man that she knew nothing about apart from his displays in the bar and his sexual comments toward her. What if he was serious about her repaying him for saving her life with sex? What if he tried to get his "repayment" by force when she refused to do it willingly?

Merle must have noticed the change in her demeanor and quickly realized where her mind went.

"Oh quit your worryin' ya dumb bitch. I ain't never forced a woman. Real men don't need ta, they can get legs spread for 'em just fine. Me personally, I like 'em to be beggin' for some lovin' from Ol' Merle." He ended grinning and shot her a wink.

"Don't hold your breath on that one Merle."

"Never say never darlin'. Who knows how long it'll just be me an' you. An' Ol' Merle knows how to satisfy a woman so don't ya worry 'bout that. Never got no complaints and had more'n a few come back for more."

Lauren snorted but made no comments. She did not want to have a conversation about Merle's sex life. Just the thought made her shudder.

She chanced a look outside and saw nothing. There were no people, none of those _things_ and no buildings.

"You aren't bringing me out in the middle of nowhere to kill me are you?"

Merle snorted. "I tol' ya. Gotta fin' ma brother. He ain't in town, only other place he'd be's here."

A small trailer came in to view and Lauren asked, "Is that where he lives?"

Merle made a noncommittal grunt before putting the truck in park, rolling down the window and screaming "DARYL! GET YA ASS OUT HERE!"

The front door of the trailer opened and a man in his mid-thirties stepped out onto the porch. He had a cigarette in his mouth, which was turned down in a frown. He was a little shorter and less bulky than Merle and had much longer hair. It was easy to see that the two were brothers by the way they carried themselves.

"Merle! What the hell're you carryin' on for out here? Ya know those things are 'ttracted to noise? Where the hell you been anyway?"

"I was lookin' for your dumbass! Get your stuff and get in the truck Baby Brother, we gotta go!"

Daryl huffed at his older brother but stepped inside for a minute to grab his already packed bag and his crossbow. He slammed the front door shut and threw his bag in the bed. When he saw Lauren, he froze.

"Who the fuck is this?"

"That there is Judy. Big Booty Judy. She's takin' a ride wit' us. Now hurry the fuck up we're burnin' daylight!"

Daryl rolled his eyes and frowned but said nothing as the woman scooted to the middle seat to make room for him. He jumped in and slammed the door looking angry.

"Any more surprises I should know 'bout." He sourly questioned his brother.

Merle chuckled. "Nope, that's it."

Daryl huffed and lit another cigarette. "Where we goin'? Supposed ta be a safe zone or some shit in Atlanta."

"Now now Darylina ain't ya learned nothin' from yer Big Brother? Everyone's gonna be rushin' in to the city an' more people means more o' them freaks. So we's gonna have ourselves a nice little campin' trip. 'Member that quarry the ol' man used ta work at? It's been shut down for years an' I think it'll make a right nice place for us to hole up for a bit 'till this shit calms down."

Daryl nodded, as usual unable to find fault in his brother's logic. "You bring the tents and shit?"

"Course Little Brother. I look stupid to ya?"

Lauren wasn't sure how she felt about this plan. She would rather go to the safe zone where the government was but she, like Daryl, couldn't find any flaws in Merle's plan. Except for the fact that she would be camping alone with two men in the middle of nowhere for who knows how long. Merle had saved her life though, even though there was no reason for him to do so. He hadn't tried anything so far, so maybe he wasn't all bad. She still had her handgun in her purse and if she felt like she couldn't handle them, they would be close enough to the highway for her to run and hopefully flag someone down. Satisfied with her decision to stay with the brothers for now, she leaned her head back and thought about how much her life had changed in the last twelve hours.

The ride was silent aside from the country cd that Merle put in. Lauren didn't know any of the songs, but she didn't really like country so she wasn't surprised. After all the things that happened that day, her music preferences were the last of her or anyone else's concerns.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So I'm not going to be following the show or the graphic novels as closely as some other writers have. I'm going to do my own thing and thrown in a few more OC's. I'm making this up as I go, so if you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to share!

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

The air in the cab was tense. Merle didn't seem to notice it, but Lauren could feel the anger and frustration radiating from his younger brother. It was clear he didn't approve of her presence and was mumbling under his breath things she couldn't hear but could guess were not in her favor.

After about two hours, Merle pulled off the highway. They drove for a while down a packed dirt road and came to the old quarry. Soon after, the truck was parked and two tents were pitched. Merle announced that he was going into the woods to "scout."

Lauren felt weird about him being gone and leaving her with a stranger who clearly hated him. She decided to organize their campsite with what little supplies they had. Daryl walked off toward the edge of the woods but soon returned with an armful of firewood and set up a fire pit.

"Wha's your real name?" He suddenly spoke up.

She chanced a sideways look at him before answering. "What, you don't think 'Big Booty Judy' is my real name? I'm offended."

Daryl's lip quirked up just a tiny bit. "If tha's your real name, ya got more fucked up parents than Merle'n I do."

Happy to break some of the tension between them, she let out a short laugh and stuck out her hand. "I'm Lauren Hill."

He didn't shake her hand but nodded to himself.

"Look Daryl, I know you aren't happy that your brother brought me along, believe me I wasn't either at first, but can we please try to get along at least until we figure out what's going on? I don't have anywhere else to go and it will make it more pleasant if I don't feel like your eyes are going to blast holes in the side of my head."

He stared at her with a calculating look. "How long ya been fuckin' my brother?"

"What? I am NOT sleeping with Merle!"

He looked at her distrustfully. "Ain't no other reason he'd risk his hide for a stranger, 'less he was gettin' some."

She stared at him disbelievingly and but was interrupted when Merle suddenly reappeared at the edge of the woods, shouting about having caught dinner. Sure enough, he was swinging a rabbit and four squirrels from a rope over his shoulder.

Lauren did her best to avoid Daryl for the rest of the evening; she had no patience for being insulted further. This was easier than she thought it would be, as all three of them were busy with small tasks getting camp set up. Daryl built a small fire and cooked the animals, Merle filled a few containers of water from the lake and set them aside to boil, and Lauren finished setting up the tents and supplies. They ate in relative silence and Lauren escaped to her tent as soon as she could. She was exhausted and wanted to forget everything for a few hours while she slept.

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><p>Lauren woke up the next morning to an empty camp. She assumed the brothers had gone hunting so she wasn't too worried. She relit the fire and began to cook herself some Spam for breakfast. She was just cleaning up after herself when she heard a vehicle pulling into the quarry.<p>

There was no way for her to remove evidence their little camp in such a short period of time, so she just checked to make sure her .38 was in the waistband of her pants and hid behind the Dixons' truck as she watched a dark red pickup get closer. She was hoping that the vehicle contained more survivors, but the practical part of her brain reminded her that they might not be friendly.

The truck stopped a few feet from the fire, and a woman in her late forties stepped out. She was wearing dark blue jeans, and unbuttoned flannel over a black shirt and black combat boots. She was holding a shotgun in a way that made Lauren think she was able and willing to use it.

"I know someone's here. I saw the smoke from the road. I don't want any trouble so don't give me a reason to use this."

Lauren hesitated, not wanting to give up the advantage of her position. Movement in the passenger's seat of the truck caught her eye however, and she realized there was someone else in the cab. _Oh my god, that woman has a child with her!_ Making up her mind, she stepped out from behind the truck with her gun pointed at the woman.

"I don't want any trouble either. Put the shotgun down and we can talk." Seeing the woman narrow her eyes suspiciously she added "I'm alone right now, the others in my group are off hunting. I know you have a kid in there, so let's not make this a bad situation."

The woman's eyes widened and she glanced to the cab for a second. "Put yours down first."

Lauren shook her head. "I don't think so. You came to _my _camp. You're looking for something I might have, which means you should listen to me."

The woman glared at her for a few moments and sighed before putting the shotgun on the ground and scooted it away with her foot. Satisfied, Lauren tucked her gun back into her pants.

"Well, now that we got that out of the way, I'm Lauren." She stuck her hand out to the other woman.

"The world's gone crazy, you don't know what people will do anymore. I'm just looking out for my own. I'm Carla." She said to Lauren before turning to the truck "Sweetie you can come out now it's ok."

A small blonde girl, about four years old bounced out of the truck and grinned shyly at Lauren. "This is my grandbaby Jenna."

Lauren smiled "Hi Jenna, I'm Lauren. "

"Nice to meet you Miss Lauren," the girl answered quietly.

"You said there were others in your group?" Carla asked.

_Crap. They are not going to be happy about this._ "Yeah, two brothers. I think they're out hunting. I'm not sure when they'll be back."

"Do you think they will be ok with Jenna and I sticking around? Honestly I'm exhausted from watching my own back and keeping her safe. I hate to admit it, but I need help."

Lauren's heart went out to the woman and she decided that she would risk the Dixon brothers' wrath to help her and her granddaughter out.

"I'm sure they won't mind at all," she lied, "as long as you're willing to help out with stuff. Why don't you go take a nap now though, you seem tired. You can use my tent. I'll watch over Jenna."

"Thank you darling. You're doing a good thing for my family and I won't forget it. Jenna, you behave for Miss Lauren ok?"

"Yes Nana," the girl replied. Carla went into Lauren's tent and was out cold within five minutes. Lauren and Jenna spent the afternoon playing with some of the girl's dolls but Lauren's mind never wandered too far from her anxiety about the brothers' return.

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><p>AN: I'm really excited to develop my new characters and their relationship with the Dixons and eventually the rest of the group. Review and let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has viewed, followed and favorited this story so far. I am so sorry this chapter took so long! I had a lot of trouble writing the first interaction between the Dixons and Carla. Hopefully I will get another chapter up this weekend. Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

It was late afternoon and the sun was setting below the trees when Carla emerged from Lauren's tent, looking much better than she had when she arrived. She sat down next to Jenna and smiled at Lauren.

"So, tell me about your missing campmates."

"Well, they're brothers. Merle and Daryl Dixon." Lauren said slowly.

Carla breathed in sharply. "What are they like?"

Lauren noticed her reaction, but answered her question anyway. "Well, Merle is older. He used to come into the bar I worked at. He's loud and crude but I think deep down he has a good heart. I don't know Daryl very well. I think he hates me though since he does nothing but glare at me all the time."

Carla snorted. "Hm. Well hopefully Jenna and I being here won't make things more difficult for you."

Lauren sighed. "Oh it will, but it was the right thing to do so don't worry about it."

Carla was about to reply when Merle's booming voice reached them from the tree line.

"JUDY! MAKE YOUR LAZY ASS USEFUL AND GET A FIRE READY TO COOK US SOME DINNER!"

"That's Merle." Lauren grimaced as she checked the fire that she had already built.

As the brothers got closer to camp, it was Daryl who noticed the new additions and immediately aimed his crossbow at Carla. "Who the fuck is this?" he asked Lauren.

Before she could respond, Carla spoke up. "Now, Mr. Dixon, I am SURE that you are only using that kinda language because you haven't noticed that you are in the presence of a child. Am I right?"

Daryl looked startled both by the fact that this woman knew his name and that she spoke to him calmly while he had a weapon pointed at her face.

"Well butter my ass and call me a biscuit! If it isn't Little Miss Carla Bassinger! I haven't seen the likes of you in damn near twenty years!" Merle exclaimed. "And who's this little princess, huh?" Jenna scurried to hide behind her grandmother while Merle chuckled and then shot a glare at his brother.

Daryl now looked embarrassed and lowered his crossbow and sheepishly mumbled "Beg pardon." Lauren was stunned that he apologized and confused why Carla hadn't mentioned that she knew brothers

Carla smiled slightly and replied "Hello Merle, Daryl. Long time no see. This is my grandbaby Jenna. Sweetheart, say hi to Mr. Merle and Mr. Daryl."

The little girl stepped next to her grandmother and gave each man a small smile and a shy hello before scurrying back to her hiding place. The brothers smiled indulgently at Jenna and Lauren was shocked by the soft looks in their eyes.

Merle turned his attention back to Carla. "How'd ya'll end up here? Didn't even know if ya were still alive let 'lone still in Georgia."

Ignoring the last part of his statement, Carla answered "I saw the smoke from your fire and I didn't think those THINGS could start a fire, so I pulled up and was lucky enough to find Lauren willing to let us stay."

Merle just hummed in reply. "Well, we's got a lotta catchin' up to do. What's say you an' I head down to the lake 'n' clean up these rabbits and we'll leave Doll Baby with the kids." Daryl and Lauren both looked indignant at being called kids, but Carla had a fond smile for Merle's nickname for Jenna.

"Alright, Jenna you stay here with Miss Lauren and Mr. Daryl. Nana's gonna go with Mr. Merle and get supper ready, ok? You be good!"

"Yes, Nana," the little girl replied and promptly ran over and plopped in Lauren's lap.

Merle and Carla walked away while Daryl grumbled and started cleaning his bolts. Jenna started yawning in Lauren's lap, so she brought her into the tent for a quick nap before dinner.

"So how do you know Carla?" She asked Daryl cautiously.

"Used ta live down the road. When 'er daddy died, Merle an' I helped her mama out aroun' the house and yard. Mos'ly Merle though." He said gruffly.

"What happened? Why haven't you seen her in so long?" Lauren pushed.

"Woman, you ask a lotta questions that got nothin' ta do wit' ya, ya know that? I don't know what happened. She moved away one summer ta live wit' her aunt in Atlanta or somethin'. People said it was 'cause she got knocked up or she got sent ta County, but no one knew for sure, she didn't come back, and people mostly forgot 'bout her 'til 'er mama died. But she wasn't even at the funeral."

"She didn't come visit her mother, not even for her funeral? Didn't anyone ask about her? What if something bad happened to her?"

"Some people mind their own business that's why." Daryl said with a tone that said he was done talking.

Lauren's mind was reeling with all of the possibilities her mind was presenting her. Why did Carla suddenly disappear? Were she and Merle friends? They seemed to be around the same age. Did she get in trouble with the law? What if she was in the Witness Protection Program? She inwardly groaned and berated herself for watching too many police shows on TV. She needed to stop worrying about Carla's past and focus on surviving in the present.

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><p>Fifteen minutes later, Lauren had some canned vegetables ready to be cooked with the rabbit meat and was just about to put on a pot of water when she noticed Carla returning with the meat, alone. Before she could ask if everything was ok, Merle came barreling up the hill calling for her to come back. "GET BACK HERE WOMAN WE'RE NOT DONE TALKIN'!"<p>

Carla ignored his yelling and handed the raw rabbit to Lauren to cook. Merle's yelling woke up Jenna, who crawled out of the tent and sat near Lauren as she cut the meat up into smaller pieces. Daryl raised his eyebrow at the commotion but said nothing.

Huffing and puffing, Merle strode up to Carla and demanded to finish their conversation.

"I've got nothing more to say to you, Merle Dixon, not until you get clean. I won't have a drug addict around my granddaughter especially during these times. I'm disappointed in you, especially after everything your old man did."

Merle had a furious look on his face, but said nothing more as he turned back to the woods and stomped off, probably to let out his frustration on some poor woodland creatures.

Daryl looked around awkwardly while Lauren continued making dinner while Jenna sat next to her. Lauren hadn't really thought about the dangers of being under the influence in this new world, but she had always guessed that Merle was usually high. She wondered what their conversation was about and what Merle would do when he got back to camp. IF he came back to camp.

Unruffled, Carla acted as though nothing happened. She began to put the meal Lauren cooked onto plates and passed them around along with bottles of water. She said grace and then ate her supper while asking Jenna questions about her day.

Daryl ate quickly and simply nodded to Lauren as he handed her his empty plate and retreated to his tent. Lauren offered for Carla and Jenna to share her tent, and they turned in soon after cleaning up.

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><p>AN: This was a bit of a slow chapter, I know. I should only have one or two more before I start bringing in the other characters from the show. Please review and let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: A quick thank you to my reviewers enchantmentanjel and what evil lurks! They made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! I'm glad you are enjoying my OC's so far! Their backstories will come up slowly through the story as don't plan on doing too many flashbacks. I think the biggest question right now is who Jenna's parents are. Any guesses? And now it's on with the show!

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

Lauren's wake up call the next morning was anything but peaceful.

"YA THINK I'M LIKE MY OL' MAN?! YOU'RE LUCKY I AIN'T HIM, 'CAUSE I'D'A KNOCKED YOU ON YOUR ASS FOR WALKING AWAY FROM ME LIKE THAT! IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?"

_Well, I guess we don't have to worry about whether Merle's all right._ Lauren thought ruefully. She rolled over and saw Carla already sitting up with a frown on her face and Jenna just starting to stir.

"Nana, what's going on? I hear yelling."

"I'm not sure, sweetie. You stay in the tent until Nana or Miss Lauren comes to get you ok?"

Loud banging and smashing along with cursing from both Dixon brothers followed up Carla's instructions. She and Lauren cautiously peeked their heads out of the tent only to be very confused at the chaotic scene in front of them.

Merle was ripping apart his and Daryl's tent throwing things and mumbling incoherently. Daryl was simultaneously trying to avoid his brother's fists and projectiles while attempting to calm him down. He wasn't very successful. The campfire was ablaze with what looked like the remains of liquor bottles, which seemed to be where most of the noise was coming from.

"Godamnit Merle! Ya can't throw tha' shit in the fire! We'll all be high as fuckin' kites!" Daryl tackled his older brother before he could throw plastic baggies into the flames. A wild-eyed Merle continued to struggle until Daryl knocked him out with his gun.

He stood up and glared at Carla. "Ya wanna tell me what the fuck that was?"

Lauren and Jenna stepped out of the tent while Carla shrugged. "I just woke up and he was gone all night how am I supposed to know?"

"Don't bullshit me, woman. You an' him went off talkin' bout the past or some shit, he runs off and comes back actin' all crazy."

"Watch your language around Jenna," she admonished, "if your brother has a problem, that's on him not me."

Daryl huffed and began gathering up all of the belongings strewn about the site while cursing and grumbling under his breath. Carla surreptitiously picked up all of the drug paraphernalia and put it in her pocket, and then she began making breakfast for the five of them.

Lauren was beyond confused at this point, but she helped Carla cook anyway. She couldn't help but wonder what it was about this woman that sent Merle over the edge. She had never seen him this way, even when he was so drunk his friends had to carry him out of the bar. _At least Daryl has someone else to glare at all the time,_ she thought with a smirk.

Merle was still out cold when the food was ready, so Lauren put some aside for him to have later. As soon as Daryl had shoved the last scrap of food in his mouth, he grabbed his crossbow and made for the woods. None of them expected to see him for a while.

Carla gathered up the dishes and called for Jenna to come with her to the lake to wash up. Lauren looked awkwardly at Merle's still form wondering how long he would be out and if she should do anything. How could Daryl take off like that, knowing there would be serious hell to pay when he woke up? She couldn't deny feeling a little nervous about the impending showdown and she kept her steps light as she cleaned up the campsite.

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><p>It was close to noon when Lauren worked up the courage to approach Carla about the big lump in the middle of camp.<p>

"So what are we going to do when he wakes up? He won't be out much longer and he's not going to be happy."

"No he's not. Especially when he finds out I dumped his stash in the river." Lauren's eyes widened. She didn't know much about drug addicts, but she was pretty sure you weren't supposed to touch their stuff if you valued your life. Seeing her expression Carla added, "I kept the useful stuff like antibiotics and painkillers, but the rest is halfway to the Atlantic by now."

"You'd better be ready to run when you tell him that." Lauren muttered.

Carla smirked, "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. I worked at an addiction treatment center before all of this. It's not the safest way to go, medically speaking, but I should be able to get him through a rapid detox in a day or two."

Lauren must have looked skeptical because the older woman continued; "It's a hell of a lot safer than worrying about the effect of the drugs during a life or death situation. Or having him run out of stuff at a bad time. If it has to happen, and believe me it does, this is the best way we've got."

_Well, I guess it would be better for him to be clean than have to worry about him acting crazy. Neither Dixon is going to be happy about this though. _Letting out a sigh, Lauren asked, "Ok, what do you need me to do?"

A few hours later, a sedated Merle lay in his tent with naltrexone coursing through his veins. Carla and Lauren took turns checking in on him to make sure his vitals were stable. All seemed to be going well, although Lauren was still anxious about Daryl's return and Merle's eventual awakening. Carla informed her that based on his age and history; he should be ok to wake up in about 18 hours.

"What do you think Daryl will think?" she asked the older woman.

"I don't know him as well as I knew Merle, but he seems to have the infamous Dixon temper, so who knows what we're in for."

"Should we be worried?"

"I don't think we need to be. It takes a long time to dig to it, but buried somewhere deep inside both of them boys are hearts of gold."

"So how well do you know Merle exactly? There is definitely more to this story than him helping your momma out after your daddy died."

"I knew Merle from school. He was two grades ahead of me until he dropped out in the middle of tenth grade. I guess you could say we were friends, but we lost touch when I moved in with my aunt in Atlanta when I was 16." Carla had a faraway look in her eyes.

"You mean the house in Atlanta we live in Nana?" Jenna butted in enthusiastically.

"Yes honey, when God called my aunt to heaven, she left me the house so we could live there."

"Oh," the little girl had a serious expression on her face, "Did God call your aunt to heaven just like he called my momma? 'Cause he needed her for important angel stuff?"

Carla gave her granddaughter an indulgent smile. "It was just like that sweetheart. Now I think someone is tired and needs a nap before the tickle monster comes to town!" Jenna giggled and shrieked, running off to the tent. Carla followed her, leaving Lauren with a lot to think about.

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><p>AN: So we got a little peek into the past with this one! Next chapter will bring the rest of the Atlanta crew into the mix and I'm toying with two different ways of doing that, so we will see how that goes. Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay in updates! I had midterms this week, so I was rather busy trying to make my tuition money worth something. As always, thank you to my reviewers, followers and favoriters- you make all the difference in my motivation to keep writing! Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

It was almost dinnertime, and Daryl was still not back from wherever he had gone. Jenna was still asleep and Carla and Lauren were continuing to take turns checking on Merle, who was still lying sedated in his tent while the detox drugs did their jobs.

Lauren was still thinking over everything she had learned about Carla, Jenna and Merle that day. The poor little girl had obviously lost her mother and didn't have an active father figure from what she could tell. She wondered if Carla was Jenna's maternal or paternal grandmother, if she was even biologically related to her at all. All forms of mixed and blended families were normal these days. Who was Jenna's grandfather and what happened to him?

A gruff voice shook her out of her reverie. "Where's Merle?"

_Geez, I didn't even hear him come back! I have to start paying more attention._

"He's in your tent. Don't worry; he's fine. Carla's in there with him. She used to work at a drug rehab center before all of this so she's helping him get clean. You can go in."

Daryl looked around, "Where's th' little girl?"

Lauren almost smiled at his obvious concern. "She's napping in my tent. Actually, I'm going to go wake her up now." Daryl nodded and cautiously approached his own tent while Lauren ducked into hers.

"Hey sweetheart, it's time to wake up. Dinner will be ready soon and you don't wanna sleep through it!"

Jenna blinked up at her and asked, "Is Mr. Dawyl back yet?"

Lauren giggled. "Yeah he just got back kiddo. Let's go ask him nicely to start dinner."

Jenna scampered out of the tent; Lauren straightened up a bit before following her out. She almost burst out laughing at the sight of the little girl hovering over Daryl as he tried to cook dinner over the fire.

"Where'd you go today Mr. Dawyl? What awe you cooking Mr. Dawyl? How'd you know how to cook? Did youw Nana teach you? I hope my Nana teaches me how to do all the cool stuff she does. Do you like my Nana? She's the bestest Nana in the whole wowld. Miss Lauwen is nice too. I think she's pwetty like a pwincess. Do you think Miss Lauwen's pwetty Mr. Dawyl? I bet you do. Will you buwn youw hand so close to the fiwe? Nana says I should stay 'way fwom the fiwe so I don't get huwt." Jenna was rattling off question after question, jumping between topics and not letting Daryl get a word in edgewise.

Lauren saw his brow furrowed in frustration and took pity on him. "Your Nana's right Jenna. You should stay away from the fire or you could get burned. Why don't you come over here and help me get plates set up for everyone and leave Mr. Daryl alone. He has to concentrate on cooking our dinner."

The little girl complied happily, skipping over to Lauren and continuing to babble and ask questions at supersonic speed. Daryl shot her a grateful look and she nodded back.

When the meat was done cooking, Carla joined them and the four campers ate in relative silence apart from Jenna telling her Nana about helping with dinner. When they finished, Lauren took up Merle watch while the others cleaned up the camp.

She took her spot in the folding chair next to Merle's cot. After checking his breathing and temperature, she picked up a book from the floor and flipped to her bookmark. She had been reading for about an hour when Merle began making soft groaning noises. She immediately put the book on the floor and felt his forehead. His eyes flew open and he grabbed her wrist. He looked at her with confusion and a bit of fear.

"Lauren?" he rasped. "Wha' the hell's goin' on? Wha' happened ta me? I feel like shit."

"Yeah it's me Merle. You're fine. Here, have some water while I get Carla for you." She handed him a glass, still marveling that he actually knew her real name.

She quickly stepped outside looking for Carla, but saw Daryl sitting with Jenna. It seemed like he was using her dolls to act out a story, even using different voices. She didn't have time to reflect on how adorable the scene was, because just then Carla came walking up from the lake carrying clean dishes.

"Hey Carla! You should go check on Merle. I will take the dishes from here." Her expression had the older woman complying without question, only asking that Lauren put her granddaughter to bed when she finished.

After drying and storing the dishes, she walked over to where Jenna was now telling Daryl an elaborate story about magical princesses. It amazed her how different the surly man was with the small girl. "Hey sweetie, finish up your story, because it's almost time for you to go to bed."

"Okay Miss Lauwen. I just told Mr. Dawyl about how the pwincess escaped the dwagon. If you want, I'll tell you tomowwow, Miss Lauwen."

"That sounds good honey. Now off to bed with you!"

When Lauren crawled back out of her tent, she saw Daryl sitting by himself poking at the fire. She could hear voices from inside the Dixon tent, so she decided to sit by the fire as well.

"You're really good with Jenna," she said after a few minutes. She couldn't stand the silence, nor the fact that she was pretty sure Daryl still hated her.

All she got in response was a grunt. She tried again. "How'd you get so good with kids? You got some of your own?" She smirked at the thought of mini Daryls running around with crossbows.

"Nah. Ain't got kids. They're jus' easy to deal wit' is all. They don' judge or nothin'. Everythin's easy when you're that age. The world hasn't gotten to ya yet."

That was the most words Lauren had ever heard him speak, but she knew that asking him more about his personal life would get her no where. She decided to go with a different approach.

"Well from what I've seen, you'd make a great dad. Jenna adores you and she just met you."

Daryl snorted. "You're a crazy woman. Dixons don' make good daddies, plain an' simple. An' that little girl is attached to the last four people that exist in her world. Don' got nothin' ta do wit' me bein' good at nothin'."

Lauren sighed. He obviously wasn't going to take her compliments, so she wasn't going to waste her breath. She decided that it was time for her to go to sleep. She got up to leave and then turned, remembering that Carla was in his spot in his tent.

"Where are you gonna sleep?"

"Out here. Or maybe in tha truck. I'm not interruptin' whatever talk they're havin' in there."

"You can't sleep outside! And there's no way you'll get any sleep in the truck. Just switch places with Carla for the night." She could see he was going to argue, so she cut him off. "Oh come on Daryl! I'm not going to bite. Or ask personal questions or give you compliments or whatever it is you're so afraid of. Jenna and I will sleep on one side and you can have the other. If you won't, I'll just sleep out here, so make your choice."

Daryl huffed and eyed her for a minute before rolling his eyes and putting out the campfire. "Fine ya bossy bitch. Ya better not try anything funny and ya better not snore neither."

Lauren just laughed and went to get settled in. She heard Daryl zip up the tent a few minutes later and there was rustling as he moved his sleeping bag as far to the wall as possible. She heard him toss and turn before finally settling into sleep. She fell asleep listening to his measured breathing thinking that maybe he didn't hate her so much anymore.

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><p>AN: Ahhhh! I know there wasn't a ton of action in this one, and that I promised the Atlanta group in this chapter, but it just didn't happen. They will DEFINITELY be in the next one. I love the Daryl/Jenna interaction though, what do you think? I will try to update again on Monday and give you guys the new and improved (?) Merle and the Atlanta group. Please review!


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